As Dick Van Dyke nears his centennial milestone, he recently shared a heartwarming revelation about someone dear to him – his wife, Arlene Silver.
Their relationship, spanning over a decade, with Silver serving as both a makeup artist and partner to Van Dyke, has been the subject of fascination due to their significant 46-year age gap. The pair first crossed paths backstage at the SAG Awards in 2006, capturing the attention of many with Silver at 35 and Van Dyke at 81.
Reflecting on their initial encounter, Van Dyke recalls a magnetic connection that led him to break his own rule of never approaching a stranger: “One thing I had never done was ever approach a strange woman in my life,” he candidly shared with PEOPLE. “She walked by, and without thinking, I jumped up and said, ‘Hi, I’m Dick.’ [I] asked her to sit down and found out she was a makeup lady and I hired her on the spot.”
Despite societal expectations surrounding their age gap, Van Dyke emphasizes that their relationship thrives harmoniously, never encountering the problems one might assume. “We thought it might be [a problem] in some regard, to some extent, but it hasn’t really,” Van Dyke acknowledged. “I’m infantile to start with. I think I’m about 13, so that’s been a problem and she’s quite mature for her age, so I don’t think we haven’t had any problem with age at all.”
Van Dyke attributes his perpetual youthfulness to Silver, recognizing her pivotal role in keeping him present and joyful: “She’s responsible for keeping me in the moment,” Van Dyke revealed. “She’s kept me happy every day of my life, every day. She’s a joy. She can get me singing or dancing, and she carries so much responsibility… I’m just lucky.”
In a world full of stories and complexities, the simplicity of love and companionship between Dick Van Dyke and Arlene Silver shines bright as a beacon of unwavering connection and mutual support.
Peace Nero is a writer and blogger who loves to explore different topics of self-development. She shares her personal experiences in order to help people discover their true purpose in life.